Independence, CA
On Wednesday, the Inyo County Planning Commission voted 5-0 in favor of a recommendation on the Renewable Energy General Plan Amendment (REGPA) which would drastically reduce the footprint of utility-scale solar energy across the landscape. The Commission recommended limiting solar development in Inyo County to facilities of less than 20 MW, just a small fraction of the size of industrial-scale facilities currently in...

[caption id="attachment_327" align="alignleft" width="300"] Looking across the Silurian Valley. The Avawatz Mountains and Salt Creek as viewed from the recently denied solar project site.[/caption]
The Silurian Valley, a vast expanse of creosote scrub and sand dunes surrounded by rugged mountain ranges, has become a flashpoint in the debate about utility-scale solar in the California desert. Spanish energy giant Iberdrola proposed a...